GREECE AND THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN ALLIANCE

Ioannis (John) M. Nomikos(Director of the Research Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS) based in Athens, Greece. He is founding editor of the Journal of European and American Intelligence Studies (JEAIS). His research focuses on counterintelligence, counterterrorism, Greek-Israeli relations, and energy- maritime security in the Eastern Mediterranean region).

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Eastern Mediterranean Alliance (Israel, Greece, and Cyprus) is emerging at a time of increasing global instability. All three states are firm democracies that promote peace, security, and environmental stability in the region. The tripartite alliance is strategically the most significant anchor of Greek security and economic progress. Read more

FIVE YEARS INTO THE WAR IN SYRIA: THE EFFECT ON ISRAEL

Ehud Eilam(Analyst of Israel's National Security)Copyright: www.jpost.com Publication of RIEAS (www.rieas.gr) on 20 March 2016.

Syria now marks five years of civil war. Since the beginning of the showdown Israel has been uncertain whether Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's fall would be beneficiary to it. On the one hand there were Assad's ties with Israel's sworn enemies, Iran and Hezbollah, but on the other hand there was the unpredictability of a post-Assad era. Read more

SHIFTING EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN ALLIANCES

by Emmanuel Karagiannis(Senior lecturer at the department of defense studies, King's College, London, and author of Political Islam in Central Asia (Routledge, 2010) and Energy and Security in the Caucasus (Routledge, 2002).

Middle East Quarterly, Volume 23, No. 2, Spring 2016

Copyright: http://www.meforum.org/5877/shifting-eastern-mediterranean-alliancesRepublication at RIEAS web site (www.rieas.gr) on 6 March 2016

The Eastern Mediterranean is changing fast with its estimated 122 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas reserves (the equivalent of 21 billion barrels of oil) already having an impact on regional patterns of amity and enmity.[1] With Israel and Cyprus well underway to becoming gas exporters, the problematic Israeli-Lebanese and Cypriot-Turkish relationships have been further strained. At the same time, energy cooperation has been the driving force behind the nascent Greek-Cypriot-Israeli partnership, manifested in rapidly growing defense and economic cooperation. Clearly, the development of energy resources and their transportation will have far-reaching geopolitical implications for the Eastern Mediterranean and its nations. Read more

ISRAEL’S NATIONAL SECURITY:Challenges and Assets

Dan Schueftan is the director of the National Security Studies Center at the University of Haifa, the director of the International Graduate Program in National Security at that university, a visiting professor (2012–2014) at Georgetown University in Washington DC, and a lecturer at the IDF National Defense College. For the last four decades he has been a consultant to Israeli decision makers and to the top echelon of Israel's government, military, and intelligence establishments. Dr. Schueftan has published extensively on contemporary Middle Eastern political history. His most recent book (2011) is Palestinians in Israel—The Arab Minority and the Jewish State.

Note: RIEAS received the permission from the author, Dr. Dan Schueftan to repost the article from the Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs.

Israel's national security challenges are unique in the sense that no other open society has ever been surrounded by active and potential enemies and subjected to threats with an existential dimension for generations. Open societies, which maintain a democratic regime and a pluralistic way of life, impose strict limitations on their own conduct, even vis-à-vis their worst enemies, and consider upholding their core values and standards of conduct no less important than safeguarding their security and wellbeing. These restrictions on the part of Israel motivate its enemies and adversaries, unburdened as they are by equivalent inhibitions, who hope to use them to secure immunity from Israeli retribution and countermeasures. An effective response to Israel's national security challenges is, thus, more difficult than it is for other nations for three reasons: first, Israel must fight, so to speak, with one hand tied behind its back; second, its enemies are encouraged by this and forge their strategy around it; and third, Israel's partners-in-values, never having confronted a generations-long challenge of this magnitude and ferocity, are often appalled by what it takes to survive this unique challenge... Read more

CYPRIOT LEADERS IN NY; TURKEY’S BESMIRCHED REPUTATION

Aristide D. Caratzas(A trained historian, an academic publisher and international policy consultant based in Athens, Nicosia and New York)

Copyright: The National Herald based in USA (September 27-October 3, 2014) – Publication Date on RIEAS (www.rieas.gr) on 30 September 2014.

President Nikos Anastasiades, accompanied by his Foreign Minister Yannakis Kasoulides and Government Spokesman Nikos Christodoulides and an array of officials, made his annual pilgrimage to the United Nations. Unlike previous years however there appears to be movement relating to the Cyprus issue that emanates not only from the usual Washington quarters (that are studiedly oblivious to current realities) but also from forces in the US capital that are disturbed by the transformation of Turkey into a hard-line, autonomous regional player promoting Sunni Islamic expansion (including support for Islamic terrorist groups, explicit enemies of the US, its allies and Israel).... Read more

THE CASE FOR AN ENERGY ALLIANCE BETWEEN GREECE, CYPRUS AND ISRAEL

The European Union is looking for supply alternatives in order to reduce its energy dependence on Russian gas, particularly after relations between the West and Russia deteriorated following the Ukraine crisis.

One could say that relations between the EU and Russiaare characterized as a paradox: both parties seem reluctant to abandon their energy relationship. To be more precise, the relationship is kind of symbiotic. The EU continues to be the best customer, constantly requesting more energy resources, and making the huge European market indispensable for Russia. Undoubtedly, suppliers and buyers constantly generate pretexts and arguments that ultimately aim to achieve better market placement, terms, and conditions..... Read more

ISRAEL AND COUNTER TERRORISM OPERATIONS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN, 2009-2014

Dr. Thomas B. Hunter, DSS(Former senior intelligence analyst with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in the United States, focusing on terrorist tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP). He has published numerous articles on topics relating to civilian and military special operations, counterterrorism, counterproliferation, and hostage rescue. He has also published an introductory book on international targeted killing operations titled “Targeted Killing: Pre-emption, Self-Defense, and the War on Terrorism.")

Copyright: The Journal of Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security Journal IACSP (Vol. 20, No.2, 2014, pp: 18-21) – RIEAS received permission from IACSP Editor to repost the article in RIEAS web site on 28 June 2014)

Introduction

Since the first international recognition of the state of Israel in 1949, that nation has been embroiled in a constant state of conflict, not only in overt wars between itself and its Arab neighbors, but also against numerous terrorist organizations seeking its demise as a nation. Regardless of the political landscape by which one views the conflict, the United Nations has recognized Israel’s right to exist as a country, as well as its right to self-defense. In this latter aspect, the nation has been forced to adapt to virtually all forms of armed conflict in the defense of its borders.... Read more

GREEK-ISRAELI-CYPRUS MILITARY AND SECURITY RELATIONS: A PREVIEW

On the chessboard of international power, the control of terrestrial and marine energy routes conveying crude oil and natural gas, from production to consumer areas, play a very influential role. Due to its geographical position, the region of the eastern Mediterranean has always been one of the most important points of the globe, as far as the distribution of raw energy materials is concerned.

THE IMPORTANCE OF INTELLIGENCE COOPERATION BETWEEN CYPRUS AND ISRAEL

Cyprus and Israel entered a new phase in their relations recently. The development of the Cypriot-Israeli relations is a fact that has been warmly welcomed by the people of the two countries, since their long lasting friendly views on each other. Even though the populations of the two countries shared a sympathetic view of each other, the state relations were never as good and close as they have become recently and this was mainly due to the close relations and military cooperation between Turkey and Israel since the mid 1990’s.

GREECE, CYPRUS AND ISRAEL COOPERATE WITH AMERICAN ASSISTANCE

The European Union was formed on the understanding that the sharing of resources was the basis for ensuring peace, stability and prosperity. No longer would Europe go to war over the iron, steel and coal of the Saar Basin and the Sudetenland. No longer would agricultural land be turned into battlefields.

The principle of “all for one and one for all”, echoes the famous writing of Alexandre Dumas in the novel of the Three Musketeers. Recently the European Union has spread its wings in sharing; between Greece, Cyprus and Israel with American Assistance.